Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2101: Police and Policing

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module offers you an opportunity to engage with the key issues, concepts and contemporary debates around the police and policing – a far-reaching and highly controversial area of study. The module also aims to provide you with an insight into the methods commonly used to research this topic, and their strengths, weaknesses and ethical implications. The focus is predominantly on English and Welsh policing, and you will benefit from an enhanced understanding of the institutional arrangements, policies and practices used in the jurisdiction. However material will also be drawn from a range of countries, to allow you to put policing practices into an international context.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in sociological debates around policing. 2. Analyze practical issues and contemporary debates of relevance to policing in England and Wales, with reference to the literature. 3. Discuss the differing research methods commonly used in police research, and their implications.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Demonstrate an understanding of key sociological concepts in policing - and a capacity to apply them to specific topics and questions. 5. Assess different methods used in the social sciences. 6. Use relevant literature to contribute to contemporary issues and debates in criminology.
Personal and Key Skills	7. Present a clear, evidence-based argument both verbally and in writing. 8. Conduct guided independent study in order to research a specific topic / question. 9. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

The evolution of the police in England and Wales, and the structures and governance mechanisms currently in place.
The nature and function of the police.
The difference between ‘police’ and ‘policing’.
The main theories of policing, their strengths, weaknesses and differences.
The main techniques used to research the police, their strengths and weaknesses and the role that academic analysis can, and should, play in policing.
Different approaches and tactics used in UK policing and internationally.
Police use of force, and less lethal weapons.
Police use of discretion.
Police (sub)culture(s)
Accountability in modern day policing, and its interaction with police legitimacy.
Changes to, and in, policing, including the notion of plural policing.
Police misconduct and corruption
The physiological impact of policing
Policing and its impacts

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activity	11	11 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activity	11	11 x 1 hour seminars
Guided independent study	50	Preparation of essay
Guided independent study	50	Preparation for exam
Guided Independent study	28	Preparation for seminars and lectures

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).